The 101st anniversary of Titanic sinking has come and gone. Unlike last year which had major events, this year was more subdued. That does not mean people did not hold memorials, watch Titanic movies, or visit a Titanic exhibit. It was just quiet. Perhaps I missed it, but none of the U.S. broadcast networks had any Titanic show. Probably it was explored on the network morning shows and that was it.
Checking the news, there was not much going on. Some notices of Titanic themed meals, a mention of Henry Aldridge auctioning off Titanic memorabilia. There were some interesting stories that passed my way. One was an update to a story about Millvina Dean. I reported a few days ago Bluestar bus line was going to name a bus for her. The BBC reports this has now happened. According to BBC:
A bus like this was named for Millvina Dean.
Some will wonder the wisdom of naming a bus but I do not think it a bad idea. I suspect from everything I read of Millvina, she would not mind at all.
Wilfred Deable Seward is probably a name few are familiar with unless you scan the list of Titanic surviving crew members. Seward was chief pantry steward for second class passengers and was in his bunk reading when Titanic hit the iceberg. Though at first told there was no problem, the 25 year old helped get passengers into lifeboat number three, and helped row it away from Titanic. His description of what he heard that night resembles what others said they heard.
“As she went down I heard terrible screams, like people yelling wildly at a football match. Then there was nothing but silence.”
He continued working on ocean liners, including the Queen Mary. He retired in 1954 and resided in Ballymoney, where his daughter resided. He passed away in 1963, age 77 and was buried in the local cemetery in an unmarked grave. Many people were aware of his Titanic connection and last year it spurred a call to erect a proper memorial at his grave. And a local undertaker decided to do this. So on 12 April of this year, a service was held at his resting place with a great niece in attendance. Not forgotten anymore. Amen.
Many Titanic enthusiasts were first drawn to Titanic by the 1958 movie A Night To Remember. The movie was based on Walter Lord’s historical book of the same name. Another movie, Titanic (1953), starring Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck, was also around as well. The 1953 movie was fiction but placed the characters on the doomed ship. Of the two though, A Night To Remember is a more faithful retelling of the tragic story of what happened in 1912.
Cinema rarely presents history the way it happened. Writers, directors, producers like to embellish or change things that look good on screen. Cornelius Ryan’s The Longest Day recounts the events prior to and on 6 June 1944. The movie version does alter a few things, namely the landing on Omaha Beach. Anyone who has read the accounts, watched documentaries, or seen Saving Private Ryan realizes how bloody awful it was. From the moment the landing craft got near, they came under withering German fire. Many were killed in the landing craft, some drowned in the water due the heavy weight of their gear, many junior officers were dead moments upon arrival leaving it up to the sergeants and corporals to lead their decimated units. So it is no surprise that even a near faithful treatment of Titanic would take some dramatic license.
A Night To Remember opens up with a christening, something Harland & Wolff never did. They did have a ceremony where guests where invited to see the new ship slide into the water. The early scene with Lightoller and his wife on the train likely did not happen either. Lightoller is chastised by an older couple when reading aloud a soap advertisement (an actual one for Vinola) and making fun of it. They assumed he was critical of the ship but are forgiving when he is revealed as an officer aboard the ship and making fun of the advertising. We see different types of people from the very rich to the poor setting out on their journey to Titanic. We get a sense right away of the very stark differences in class that existed in that time. The poorest go with what they had and could carry while the rich came with servants and lots of baggage. Most of the characters used in the movie are based on real people and there are some composites as well.
We also see the stark differences between two other ships and captains-Captain Stanley Lord of Californian and Captain Arthur Rostron of Carpathia. Both of these ships play a critical role in the Titanic story. When Rostron is informed of the emergency message from Titanic, he quickly springs into action. Lord, since the radio operator is off-duty has no idea what is happening to Titanic and does not investigate when rockets are sighted. We also see the various characters react to the sinking and the acts of sacrifice that take place. Titanic captain Edward J. Smith appears decisive unlike what was learned later at the hearings. In fact, he had to be asked what to do by many of the officers instead of barking out orders as the movie depicts. Most likely the fact that many were going to die was something that weighed heavily on his mind.
Keen observers will notice some actors that became well known later. Honor Blackman, who was the first female accomplice on The Avengers and Pussy Galore on Goldfinger is in the movie as Mrs. Lucas. Those who remember Man From Uncle or like the character of Donald “Ducky” Mallard on NCIS will notice David McCallum as assistant wireless officer Harold Bride. Bernard Fox, whose Colonel Crittendon made live miserable for Colonel Hogan on Hogan’s Heroes, plays lookout Frederick Fleet (he was also in Cameron’s Titanic playing Colonel Archibald Gracie). Sean Connery plays a Titanic deck hand. Kenneth More, a well known British actor in the 1950’s, plays the role of Charles Lightoller. There are many others who will look familiar if you watched movies or television from this period.
The movie was done in black and white, but there may be copies out there in color. The Criterion Collection of this movie is the one to purchase or rent. Also this version has been digitally restored and some of the older copies are not that good. There are extras well worth considering if you plan to purchase. First the audio commentary by Titanic authors Don Lynch and Ken Marschall fills in a lot of detail as you watch the movie, often correcting what the movie does not depict correctly or adding lots of interesting details. A 60 minute documentary about the making of the movie and, perhaps even better, an archival interview with Titanic survivor Eva Hart.
I would encourage, if you can, to read the book by Walter Lord. The book is extremely well written and Lord had a knack for telling a good historical story. He wrote a sequel after Titanic was discovered in 1985 called The Night Lives On that deals with what was learned afterwards. He actually wrote a lot of history books. His one on Pearl Harbor attack (Day of Infamy) is still considered on the best in that area. His The Miracle of Dunkirk really nails what it was like to be trapped with Germans advancing on you with the only hope rescue from the sea. It also includes, for those who did not know, how Charles Lightoller (the same one from Titanic) became a hero rescuing soldiers and bringing them home to Britain. His book on the Battle of Midway (Incredible Victory)details how the battle came about. Some of his books may be available digitally.
So as you decide what to watch for the anniversary of Titanic’s sinking, consider the 1958 A Night To Remember. I think you will like it it. It will not have all the lush colors of Cameron’s Titanic, but it tells a story that will be worth the watch.
1. This is Surrey Today has an article detailing locals who survived or died on Titanic. One of the more noted was Jack Phillips, who was chief wireless officer aboard Titanic. Both he and Harold Bride were the ones who sent the now famous SOS signal to all ships in the area.
2. Belfast will remember those who perished aboard Titanic (which included 28 from Belfast) with a midday ceremony. The Lord Mayor and the president of the Belfast Titanic Society will lay wreaths at Titanic Memorial on City Hall grounds. Six men whose names were not known at the time the memorial was built will be honored as well.
3. A number Titanic Artifacts are at Titanic Experience in Cobh, Ireland. Items such as a blue leather suitcase bought at Harrod’s and the personal property of Lilly Odell are permanent. The exhibition includes photographs and items on loan to the collection.
Source: Historic Titanic Artifacts Returned To Cobh For Anniversary(11 April 2013, thejournal.ie )*
4. The Southampton SeaCity museum, which opened in 2012, is doing well reports Daily Echo. Critics had feared once Titanic centenary had faded that visitors would melt away. The project, called a white elephant by many locally, cost £15m. 143,000 visitors have passed through its doors since exceeding its target by 20,000. To keep people coming back, the museum plans to host other major national exhibitions.
A bus similar to this will be named in Millvina Dean’s honor
There are many ways to remember people. Some are with statues, memorial plaques in parks or historical sites, music and books. Naming public transportation after people though is different but not unheard of. For instance, Caltrain (the regional commuter rail on San Francisco peninsula) names its engines after cities and politicians. Millvina Dean, the last Titanic survivor who passed away in 2009, will have a Uni-Link double decker bus run by Bluestar (no connection to Clive Palmer’s company building Titanic II) named for her.
According to Daily Echo, a ceremony will take place this Sunday with her nephew, Ron Dean, and sixty members of the British Titanic Society. A commemorative plaque will be unveiled at the ceremony. Then they will take the bus to a memorial garden named in her memory in Southampton to lay a wreath. Randi Newman, secretary of the British Titanic Society says it was a nice gesture on the part of Bluestar. Apparently she had been invited to unveil a bus in her honor but sadly passed away before that could happen.
Wallace Hartley wrote a letter to his mother but Captain Edward J. Smith wrote one to his daughter, Helen, in 1909. The letter was written when he was captain of the SS. Celtic. The letter reveals a softer side of a man known for his tough discipline. One line in particular is touching:
My dear Daughter, I could not catch a little bunny to send you in my letter so send you a card by this little bird. I hope Mother and you and Gladys are well. I shall soon be home. Your loving Daddy.’
The letter will be auctioned of on 20 April by Henry Aldridge & Son. The letter is expected to fetch £10,000 ($15,000).
A letter written by Wallace Hartley to his mother aboard Titanic will soon be auctioned off reports This is Wiltshire. The handwritten letter was referenced by his mother in a 27 April 1912 interview with a local paper. The letter, in part says:
Just a line to say we have got away all right. It’s been a bit of a rush but I am just getting a little settled. This is a fine ship and there ought to be plenty of money on her. “I’ve missed coming home very much and it would have been nice to have seen you all if only for an hour or two, but I couldn’t imagine it. We have a fine band and the boys seem very nice.
Auctioneer Henry Aldridge & Son will auction the letter on 20 April. The expected sale value is between £50,000 to £60,000.
1. It is a sad thing when a grand ship of old is left to slowly rot. Sarah Hoyle writes a piece about the old steamship United States slowly decaying at a pier in Philadelphia. It costs $80,000 a month for maintenance, insurance and security. The SS United States Conservancy has a website where the public can donate to help preserve this grand ship.
2. Yvonne Hume, whose great uncle John Hume perished when the ship sank in 1912, wants to become on of the first passengers of Titanic II. John Hume was a violinist who played with Wallace Hartley as the ship was sinking and considered a hero in his hometown of Dumfries, Scotland. She believes she can complete her great uncles voyage by sailing on the new ship. She has written a letter to Clive Palmer to request a place on Titanic II.
3. The Titanic museum in Colne, Wallace Hartley’s hometown, might be moving in the near future reports the Lancashire Telegraph. The museum needs more room then at the present location at Old Grammar School. Hopefully they will get the needed funds to relocate and keep going.
4. Robert Parr, according to the Times & Star, has created a painting of both Olympic and Titanic sailing together. It may be the only painting that does this. Parr presented the painting to Cliff Ismay, who is related to Bruce Ismay. The painting will be on display at the Maryport Maritime Museum next weekend.
Years ago while on tour of a naval vessel a question was asked about whether it was rougher at sea or when docked in port. The officer cocked his head slightly and responded it was worse in port. He explained tides going in and out shift the ship and cause it to move unpredictably at times. Having been aboard craft when tides change, I learned exactly what he meant. And something like that happened to the Carnival Triumph.
While moored and undergoing repairs in Mobile, Alabama, it became adrift when near hurricane force winds and stormy waters snapped its moorings. Off it went downriver until it a cargo ship where it incurred more damage. This was the same ship that weeks ago was stranded to a major power failure requiring it be towed back. The horror stories were pretty ghastly and Carnival has refunded their money back plus some free trips in the future.
There were 600 crew members and 200 contractors aboard when it went adrift but they are okay. A guard shack was toppled into the water with two men inside. One has been rescued and the other has not been found and now presumed dead. Now the work order will be altered with fixing a 20-foot gash in the stern with two levels of broken rail. Also the power lines connected to Triumph were broken with possible damage to that system. So it means more work for the repair team.
Now some out there, either jokingly or somewhat seriously, speak of a Carnival curse. The cruise line has certainly had its share of problems from illnesses, ship handling problems, and one very serious incident where the captain got to close to rocks causing the ship to founder resulting in passenger deaths (Costa Concordia). Some of these, like with the Costa Concordia, are rare. Most ship captains are a pretty serious lot who prefer to not to take great risks that will endanger the ship or passengers. However it is a fact that things are going to go wrong. Someone comes on with an virus that has not yet done anything more than a sniffle but later spreads like an epidemic in the close quarters of a ship. Or it could be bacteria that gets into the air filtration system spreading an airborne virus. Unexpected high seas might tumble a ship around causing damage to property and people. A fire in the engineering area, perhaps electrical, knocks out the power for the entire ship. All of those things have happened to cruise ships.
There are a lot cruise ships out there, actually thousands that traverse the oceans, seas, and rivers of our planet. And most of the time, nothing eventful happens except the usual gripes and complaints that arise when you have lots of people aboard a ship. Yet when something does, we act like this is something that never happens. As if they can never happen. This is something out of whack. Complaints arise from politicians (of course), that something must be done as if this has not happened before. Even with the most sophisticated safety and shipbuilding techniques, a ship is hostage to nature and when things go bad like when an engine is knocked out of commission. It is not like the old days where you could hoist a sail and hope for the wind. You cannot do that with most cruise ships and it probably would do little good owing to its massive size.
Curses are convenient in that they answer why things happen badly. The legendary big daddy of all, the one about King Tut, is that many involved in its finding died. Yet that is not true. Some notable deaths did occur but nothing to suggest a curse was reaching out and killing everyone responsible. Howard Carter lived a long life as did others. And the curse was invented by the press and encouraged, it is believed, by Carter to keep people away. Yet people want to believe in it and connect all kinds of bad things when the mummy was on tour around the United States. Titanic has its mummy curse as well but that is also fiction. No mummy was aboard Titanic. Some people argued any president of the U.S. who was elected in a year ending in a zero, would die in office by assassination. Yet while some presidents were killed (Lincoln, McKinley, Kennedy), Reagan was not ending that notion.
What happened to Carnival is nothing mystical or supernatural. It all has a rational explanation. Each incident has it own explanation but when we string them all together some want to believe a hand is at work. What kind of hand? Fate or supernatural or just plain bad timing, I take the bad timing.
It is Titanic authors week at Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The 7 day booksigning event will allow museum visitors to meet authors, have photos taken with them, and purchase books. The event is being held in the parking lot from 10am-5pm each day. It is free to attend and purchase of books will give a discount on museum admittance. The youngest author is Luke Copas, age 11, who wrote Facts For Kids About The Titanic.
Other noted authors to be present are Daniel Allen Butler, Bruce M. Caplan, Kristen Iversen, Tammy S. Knox, Yvonne Lehman, June Hall McCash, Lee W. Merideth, Ken Rossignol, Julie Hedgepeth Williams,and Allan Wolf.
1. Clive Palmer, the same billionaire behind Titanic II, wants to create his own Jurassic Park but will use robot dinosaurs. According to Daily Mail, he has ordered more than a hundred mechanical dinosaurs from China (could that be aging party members?) to install at his Palmer Coolum Resort. The resort already has a life size T-Rex and a Deinosuchus (the large ancestor of modern day crocodiles) is set to arrive by end of May. Palmer apparently applied to local authorities to turn part of the golf course into a dinosaur park. The robot dinosaurs will be displayed in woodlands and will be animatronic. As people walk by, they will sway their tails, heave chests and blink. No word on sounds but a roar now and then would probably liven things up. Of course they would to be careful not to do that while people are playing golf. Having a dinosaur roar while setting up your shot would be hazard on its own!
2. A remake of James Cameron’s Titanic is being planned, by the famous director has announced. A remake will likely star Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in the lead roles. Palmer hopes the remake will top the original and with the two Twilight stars at the top, ought to draw lots of people in to see the movies.
